J845

Erisian,
If you turn in front of a car barrelling down at you doing 60mph, you are making an unsafe turning movement to begin with. Talk about lack of good judgement. You can't turn until it is safe to do so, in the lane you are required to turn into. To make a proper (legal) right turn, you must turn into the closest lane to the right. One sees drivers all over the country causing accidents by doing what you say.
That driver with the right of way, might make the same lane change in order to avoid running into you and end up hitting you anyway, but now in a more serious situation, now instead of a straight rear ender, you both are at an angle and most likely will end up going into oncoming traffic.

Read that L.A. was having the same type of problem around government buildings. One of the "Times" editors kept bringing it up, until they did a sting. Many of the handicapped parkers weren't handicapped, they were using relatives placards or ones they had bought. Perhaps the same should be done in Portland. Check out the placards one day and get the numbers and vehicle tags, run them to see who they are issued to and have the info on hand for the next day to see who is actually using them. Confiscate the placards and refuse reissue if being abused. Also go after the medical professionals that certify someone as handicapped, when they aren't.
The basic requirement to obtain a placard is that the handicapped person can't walk 200 feet unassisted.
If you can park on the street and walk blocks to your place of employment, you don't desrve the placard.

E-books should be no more than $5.00.
There is no publishing costs after the first e-book is created, no paper, no shipping, no storage etc. Some authors have found that they make more with the $5.00 price than they did before publishing in hardback, with agents and publishers and the huge mark up that went with that.

Last year Commandant, General James F. Amos “A Marine is a Marine". He set the policy – there’s no such thing as a former Marine. You’re a Marine, just in a different uniform and you’re in a different phase of your life. But you’ll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico.”

Johnny Elkins,
I enlisted the same year Ali refused to serve. Ali drew his, as you state, "line in the stand" long before the "war dragged on and the body bags continued to add up..."

What we know now about the politics and policies of Viet Nam were not known at that time. To me, he had been offered so many opportunities and experiences by way of his citizenship. I mean, wow, the olympics, professional boxing, the sports star elete status, and when his country called, he turned his back on it and the sacrafice of the all the aforementioned black men who didn't have his opportunities, lived through discrimination to a degree that he never knew and they still served.

They considered themselves as most of us do, as Americans. Not hypenated Americans. When our country called we went.

That's why I consider him a coward.

As for the draft being reinstated, it would have to be another WW type of war, right now they have more recruits than they can accept.

Johnny Elkins,
I enlisted the same year Ali refused to serve. Ali drew his, as you state, "line in the stand" long before the "war dragged on and the body bags continued to add up..."

What we know now about the politics and policies of Viet Nam were not known at that time. To me, he had been offered so many opportunities and experiences by way of his citizenship. I mean, wow, the olympics, professional boxing, the sports star elete status, and when his country called, he turned his back on it and the sacrafice of the all the aforementioned black men who didn't have his opportunities, lived through discrimination to a degree that he never knew and they still served.

They considered themselves as most of us do, as Americans. Not hypenated Americans. When our country called we went.

That's why I consider him a coward.

As for the draft being reinstated, it would have to be another WW type of war, right now they have more recruits than they can accept.

Johnny Elkins -
I think the problem with you understanding my point is that you are looking at it with 20/20 hindsight.

Many of us that answered our Country's call, at the time, did it out of patriotism. So many had sacraficed so much before us, and we knew it was now our turn. Many dreams and wants, were pushed aside to do what our conscience told us we needed to do.

You say "going to die in a far off land for nothing." At the time, we did not believe it was for nothing. Granted over the time of our deployment we learned that there was no clear cut plan for winning, our preceptions changed. But, I still do not believe it was for nothing.

I am very involved with the families of our deceased brothers, they feel a loss of their family member and miss them, like any normal person would. (having lost family members, recently, here in the U.S. , to natural causes I feel the same) But these family members feel an overwhelming pride in that their loved one was doing something he believed in and took pride in doing, when he was killed, rather than being a arm chair by stander, when their country called.

Johnny Elkins -
I think the problem with you understanding my point is that you are looking at it with 20/20 hindsight.

Many of us that answered our Country's call, at the time, did it out of patriotism. So many had sacraficed so much before us, and we knew it was now our turn. Many dreams and wants, were pushed aside to do what our conscience told us we needed to do.

You say "going to die in a far off land for nothing." At the time, we did not believe it was for nothing. Granted over the time of our deployment we learned that there was no clear cut plan for winning, our preceptions changed. But, I still do not believe it was for nothing.

I am very involved with the families of our deceased brothers, they feel a loss of their family member and miss them, like any normal person would. (having lost family members, recently, here in the U.S. , to natural causes I feel the same) But these family members feel an overwhelming pride in that their loved one was doing something he believed in and took pride in doing, when he was killed, rather than being a arm chair by stander, when their country called.

As I said, he was possibly the best boxer ever. But that's inside the ring.
You are confusing his profession with everyday life.

You're correct, he probably would never have gotten close to the action because of who he was. But we will never know.

Many, many opposed the war, but still served honorably. Including conscientious objectors, who would not fight because of their religious views. But they still served, many in the most dangerous occupation, as medics.

Please don't presume to know what the families of our fallen brothers would say. It's disrespectful to them and their loved ones sacrafice.

We are talking about Ali and his choice in the VietNam war, not the present day wars that you mention.

I forgot to mention in my previous post the 761 st Tankers from WW II. Without the service of all these black servicemen, possibly Ali would never have had a choice to be a boxer or even an English speaker.

Those black servicemen I served with in Nam, were all volunteers. Men who faced the same attitudes from some, that Ali did. But to a man, they thought of their country first, something Ali refused to do.

Ali was a charismatic, talented personality. And possibly the best boxer ever.

But he is also the forerunner of the prima donna, vain, egocentric professional athletes of today.

His stance regarding being drafted, dishonored all the black servicemen who have served our country in time of war. The Montford Point Marines, the Tuskegee Airmen, the ships stewards, the ammo ship loaders, the Red Ball Express servicemen. They all faced discrimination on a level that Ali only heard about.
All the black Soldiers, Marines and Navy servicemen who did serve with honor in Vietnam, all Ali's contemporaries.

You may think of him as the greatest. I reserve that for those who have put thereselves in harms way for our country. As for Ali, I think of him as a coward.

Larry,
I can see your point, but I don't agree. Since American citizens living in other states are not given in-state tuition in OR, because they are not legal residents of OR, illegal immigrants shouldn't be given a better deal than legal citizens.

Not only are they a vision problem while driving, in an accident they become a real danger. The forces of impact can turn them into a injury producing weapon, the thin sides can blind you if they hit your eyes or cut your face or neck open, as they are propelled around the vehicle interior.

Al,
In reply to your questions.
1) Cheaper to deport than support, just on the cost of education alone.

2&3) No problem if you start up the guest worker program again. With the proper, issued, i.d. card then they can travel back & forth between home and work without having to sneak into our country. Or pay a coyote.

4) Guest workers who are documented workers would be doing these jobs as opposed to illegal immigrants. So there should be no change in prices.

5) Focus should be on both, workers and employers. Heavy fines for employers, first time. Second time, heavy fines and jail time. With jobs only for documented guest workers the illegals will have no reason to stay.

6) Because that is where the biggest percentage of illegal drugs enters the U.S. Usually on the bags of illegals who are forced to carry them by the cartel enforcers who also make them pay for that privilege.

In another study researchers found that people walking in the surf at the beach, were more likely to have wet feet and sand between their toes than those enjoying the Rose Festival along the riverside.